is this english?..

[Anselm Hauke]

ok, let´s think about the distance:
london - perkasie
london - bremen





Jim: GREAT looking bass!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Anselm Hauke

ok, let´s think about the distance:
london - perkasie
london - bremen

Yeah yeah yeahh..

[Jim Mortimore]

yes,
very funny

the bass does have H.D Curtis engraved in the tuning gear head. is this a name you are familiar with at all?

[Anselm Hauke]

sorry, no.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Jim Mortimore

yes,
very funny

the bass does have H.D Curtis engraved in the tuning gear head. is this a name you are familiar with at all?

No, must be the guy that owned the bass at one time. Ask at Thwaites and Conrtabass shop and Gallery Strings and Tom Martin, the English guys!

[Chris Shaw]

Or maybe Curtis just made the machines? I'm pretty confident that there are no known makers called Curtis. But not much doubt about the quality, and the Englishness of this is there! As for distance, I'm in London SE24 - would love to take a look at it! You didn't get it from Adrian Warrick did you?

[Jim Mortimore]

ok..

I shall let the cat out of the bag. I have not been entirely truthful here regarding me acquiring the bass.. more like trying to acquire the bass. but I was trying to gather some info before the auction this morning. I hope have not broken any forum rules their Ken I'm sure you could imagine my excitement when the estimate price was set at £250-£350!!!! i knew it would never sell anywhere near this price but this is a fairly small time antiques auction in the south of england not a specialist musical instrument auction at all. You live in hope. I thought hey.. maybe none of the double bass collectors have seen it tucked away in a small time antiques auction in the south of england. I thought wrong... Most of the major english double bass collectors and repairers were there. The auction... Everyone took their spots and it began.. I bid on the bass up £18k my limit... it sold for £22.5k. with commission and taxes thats over £30k. The buyer... the director of contra basse shoppe Anthony Houska. I'm sure the contra basse shoppe is a fine home and place for such a fantastic bass to be restored and loved for the next few years.. If I had the money I would not think twice about spending that kind of money on such an amazing instrument. Just playing one note on it brought uncontrollable smiles and happiness to me. I can only dream of acquiring a bass like this again in the future or maybe I should start saving so when Tony has restored it I may have to go and buy it from the contra basse shoppe in a few years

[Chris Shaw]

You can be certain that Tony will do a great job. Every single one of his basses is presented in the absolute best of conditions - so I agree that the bass will do well out of this. Still a shame for you though Jim! Which auction house was it?